1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to openable canopy housings making, for example, sporting establishments available for indoor and outdoor use.
More particularly, the invention relates to an openable canopy housing wherein a canopy is formed by a plurality of arched panels which are movable to be closed during bad weather and opened during good weather. The same establishment can be used both outdoors and indoors by opening and closing the panels, and the utility of sporting establishments and the like is improved without being influenced by weather and season.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, swimming pools are built outdoors, and many sporting establishments, such as tennis courts, are built outdoors. Such sporting establishments are not able to be used during rainy weather, and thus the frequency of their utilization is influenced by the weather. Particularly, the time of utilizing outdoor pools is limited only to the time of good weather in summer. They are thus unable to be effectively used in the light of the enormous costs spent to construct them.
On the other hand, some sporting establishments are covered with a canopy so as to be an indoor establishment. In such an indoor establishment, at the time of rainy weather, the canopy will perform its function to prevent rain from entering. In such a sporting establishment, the window area is made large to be able to accept a large amount of sunshine. However, when the sunshine strikes the window, it will be reflected or absorbed by the glass, the amount of the incident light will be reduced, and the amount of the light which can be taken in will be limited. In addition, some sports are inherently to be practiced outdoors. Only when some sports are practiced outdoors, will they be healthful sports.
A sporting establishment which is used for both outdoor and indoor use is already known. This is a swimming pool covered with a canopy free to open and close. In this structure, side walls of a fixed height are erected on both sides of the pool, and an arched canopy formed by transparent members is mounted on the upper parts of the side walls on both sides. The canopy is formed by a plurality of shelters so that the shelters are movable in the lengthwise direction of the pool. The shelters will be closed at the time of rainy weather, and will be opened at the time of good weather to have an all-weather function. However, there are problems.
First, in constructing the establishment, the two side walls must be provided opposed to each other, and the same building works and costs as of a general building are required. Further, when newly fitting the canopy to an existing sport establishment, the establishment will be limited in space for providing the side walls. It is thus difficult to additionally construct a canopy in an already constructed establishment. Further, because the establishment is surrounded by side walls on both sides, light will not be able to be incident from the sides, but will be incident only through the canopy in the upper part and the amount of the sunshine which can be taken in will be restricted. Further, even if the shelters forming the canopy are opened, because the establishment is surrounded by side walls, the people within the establishment will not feel like they are outdoors, and it will be the same as an indoor establishment in which only a part of the roof is opened.